


Acceptance

by Rei_the_Rat



Category: One Piece
Genre: Gen, Mother Sea Zine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-20 21:17:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21288311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rei_the_Rat/pseuds/Rei_the_Rat
Summary: Drake had made a promise to himself not to use his full allosaurus form. He convinced himself he didn’t need it. And he hated how easily he stepped back into his beast form.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 41





	Acceptance

**Author's Note:**

> My entry for X Drake for Mother Sea, a free fan-made zine dedicated to the many backstories and pasts to some of our favorite One Piece characters. It's digital only and free to download. You can find it here on [tumblr](https://mothersea-zine.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/mothersea_zine). Go check it out and see all the other amazing work that was contributed to it!  
This work was beta'd by the lovely [Shishiswordsman](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shishiswordsman) who also did some amazing art work for the zine <3

When he’d joined the marines, Drake had made a promise to himself not to use his full allosaurus form. He convinced himself he didn’t need it, and he was able to hold on to that promise for almost three years before he had to break it.

The rockslide was descending upon the town too quickly to get the residents of that side evacuated. Instinct made Drake’s legs start moving on their own and as he left of the city walls, the familiar surge of power overtook him. For a brief second, he hated how easily he stepped back into his beast form. He didn’t have long to think on it though as he slammed himself against the tumbling rocks and dug his feet in the ground beneath him.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the city wall was still standing and the gate undamaged. Some of the rockslide had moved around him but not enough to break the city’s fortification. A sigh of relief left him, and he pushed up on unsteady legs, shaking off some of the debris.

He heard the gunfire and shouts seconds before something brushed his shoulder. The reflex to turn and snap at the direction was overpowered by the fear of accidentally hurting someone. Flashes of pain and disgust from old memories barraged him, and he forced himself out of his transformation too quickly. The rocks shifted to make up for the space he was no longer occupying, and Drake hesitated in case they started falling again. When all was still, he stood and faced the marines that had gathered outside the city gates.

They were staring at him, fear still evident in their stance and the way they held their guns, but it had settled more into shock. One of the ones that had shot at him threw his gun to the side and saluted.

“My apologies, Captain Drake!” He was joined by several others who also dropped their guns and stood at attention. “We didn’t recognize you! We thought you were a mon-”

“Did you finish the evacuation?” Drake cut him off.

“Yes sir! And the recovery team is an hour away to assist with the repairs!”

“Good.” Drake walked past them. “Get out there and start helping the citizens. Find out if anyone is missing and access what damage was done during the initial attack.”

They scattered at his orders, leaving him time to walk through part of the town alone in his own thoughts. His teeth ached and a rancid phantom smell assaulted his senses. The shadows of his past wrapped around his limbs, clinging and threatening to drag him down.

“Captain?” Drake looked up at his lieutenant waiting for him at the city’s plaza fountain. He was one of the few people who knew about Drake’s devil fruit power. “Are you alright?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Are you injured? I heard gunfire.”

“Regular bullets don’t often pierce my scales.”

“Well, that’s a relief then. You look exhausted though. You should go rest. We’ve got this.”

Drake wanted to argue. He should be there, leading the recovery teams and making sure everything was ok. But he also very much wanted to be away from everyone at the moment.

“It’s alright.” His lieutenant reassured him, reading the distress written on his face.

“I… Thank you. Let me know immediately if anything comes up.”

“Of course, Captain. Good night.”

“Good night.”

\-----

_ “I bought you a treat. The local grocer told me it was a popular sweet fruit that children like.” _

Why would he ever think his father would lie to him?

_ “Make you sure you eat the whole thing.” _

Diez Barrels was a marine, he helped people. His father served justice and-

_ “Did it work?” _

_ “Hard to tell, maybe he needs a little jump start.” _

Devil fruits tasted awful. That wasn’t something he’d been aware of as a child. He barely knew what a devil fruit was before he ate one. The world was a little fuzzy after he ate it. He remembered looking back to his father to ask why it tasted so bad when he saw one of his men pointing a gun at him. What happened next was a wash of sensations more than memories. He came to with a sea prism stone cuff around his wrist and covered in blood. After that, life was hell. His father, marine turned pirate, started dealing the devil fruits he’d stolen in the black market. And he used Drake as a security measure. Forced into life or death situations one after the other, Drake’s transformation ability developed around his reflex and survival instinct. Too often he’d blackout and wake up surrounded by bodies. The worst times were when he woke up with a taste in his mouth even worse than the devil fruit, blood on his lips, and pieces of people surrounding him.

Those years blurred together, all pain and darkness. Until one snowy evening on Minion island.

Drake had been trying to sneak down into the pantry to fetch something to eat when he happened upon a tall man he’d never seen before. He was clearly lost and not a member of the Barrels pirates. He turned toward Drake and was so startled by him, he almost fell over. Instead he grabbed Drake by the collar and dragged him into a nearby closet.

Still trying to catch up and register what was happening, Drake didn’t move when the stranger covered his mouth with a gentle press of his hand. He snapped his fingers, and Drake felt the air around them change. Everything was suddenly so much more quiet, like a still lake during the calm of a storm. When he looked back at the tall man, who had somehow managed to fold his long legs under him so that he was sitting and closer to Drake’s height, he noticed that he too was being looked over. The stranger’s face was a mix of anger and sadness as he noticed the bruising along Drake’s skin and his thin form. His hand lingered by the cuff before withdrawing and reaching into his pocket.

“Who are you?” Drake asked.

The stranger hesitated. “My name is Donquixote Rocinante, but you may call me Corazon if you wish.” A light jingle came from his hand as he retrieved an item from his pocket. “I wasn’t aware Barrels had a son.”

“It’s ok. I don’t think he remembers either.” Drake could not hide the bitterness in his tone.

Rocinante frowned at his response. “I see. How unfortunate. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to help me? I can help you in return.” He opened his hand and showed Drake the key ring he had.

“How’d you find that?”

“Marine habits die hard sometimes. Barrels still has a lot of them.”

“Why would you help me?”

“Because I want you to help me.” Rocinante reminded. He smiled and gave a shrug. “I guess I’ve just picked up the habit of helping out kids.” Drake didn’t point out that he was almost twenty, he was probably still a kid by this person’s standards and he certainly looked like one. “You and young Law both look like you could really use some help. And maybe a friend. You could come with us when we leave.”

That sounded almost too good to be true. “Leave where?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know yet. The marines are close by, Lady Tsuru could pick us up… or back to my brother.” He said the last part as a whisper with a cautious look in his eyes.

“Are you a marine?”

Rocinante’s eyes widened like he’d been caught in a trap. Drake didn’t understand why he looked so guilty when he lowered his head and nodded. “I am.” He took a deep breath. “That’s not really important right now. Do we have a deal?”

Drake hadn’t even asked what it was he wanted yet, but it didn’t matter. He held out his hand for Rocinante to undo the lock around his wrist.

After telling Rocinante how many men were with his father, who the potential buyers were, and where they and the devil fruit were, Drake followed him down a side passage that led outside. Rocinante told him where to go to meet them after this all was done.

“You’ll be looking for a young lad named Trafalgar Law, about this tall and pale. He’s sick, but don’t worry, he’s not contagious.” Rocinante said the last bit in a rush. He smiled at Drake and knelt down next to him. “You’ll be alright.” He gave him a quick hug and patted his shoulder. “Good luck to us both, yeah?”

Shocked by the physical contact, Drake could only nod. He felt strangely hopeful for the first time he could remember. He smiled as he waved to Rocinate and ran off into the night to meet up with them later.

Though that meeting would never happen.

Drake would always be grateful to Rocinante for what he did. And when he met Law years later, a young pirate with plans and vengeance on the mind, he let him go with no explanation and relief that he’d made it out too.

\----

When Drake got back to his ship, rather than head straight for his room to rest, he made a detour to grab a transponder snail and made a call.

“Garp speaking. What is it?”

“Teacher? I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

“I’d like you to train me again.” Drake sat on his bed and looked at his own hand. A ripple of muscle gave way to scales before they shifted back. “I need to learn to control my power rather than hiding it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading <3  
Let me know what you what you thought of it, I had a lot of fun working on this piece  
Also, if you would like to support me as a writer, see WiPs I post and my own original content, then come say hi on [twitter](https://twitter.com/rei_the_rat)  
~ Rei the Rat


End file.
